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Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Patient by Ben Watt. In the summer ofon the eve of an American tour, Ben Watt, one half of the Billboard -topping pop duo Everything But The Girl, was taken to a London hospital complaining of chest pain. Watt had developed a rare life-threatening disease that initially baffled doctors. By the time he was allowed home, his ravaged body was forty In the summer ofon the eve of an American tour, Ben Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness, one half of the Billboard -topping pop duo Everything But The Girl, was taken to a London hospital complaining of chest pain. By the time he was allowed home, his ravaged body was forty-six pounds lighter and he was missing most of his small intestine. Watt injects pathos and humor into his medical nightmare, writing about his childhood, reflecting on his family and on his shared life with band member and partner Tracey Thorn. The result is a provocative and affecting memoir about life, illness, and survival. Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. Published August 10th by Grove Press first published More Details Original Title. Other Editions Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Patientplease sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. This is one of those books I've wanted to read for a long time. And one understands better how the author was so skinny around the time EBTG had their hit, "Missing". The illness in Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness turns out to be: view spoiler [Churg-Strauss Syndrome rare autoimmune disease that pre- late s lead to death hide spoiler ]. Sometime around early Janu This is one of those books I've wanted to read for a long time. Sometime around early January ofthe author, a member of the band Everything But The Girl, started to feel terrible. His mild asthma started to grow worse and worse, and even the strongest asthma medicines seemed eventually not to work. Then came the chest pains that took him to the start of the hospital stay, in June. But this was just the beginning of the series of symptoms that followed - and the hunt for right diagnosis started. We get a view of his state of mind, how it changes certain detachment grows, which makes return to the world a bit of a shock; also, many moments of what he thought of certain situations in italics. We get a view of all the pain, the fever, the vomiting, the discomforts of various kind. There are some disturbing details which might mean that some readers might want to avoid eating while reading. But we also get the humor, like needing someone to move his head a little to hear better through his left ear. And reading about the doctors, nurses, patients, and visitors is interesting: the nice, the annoying, the sad. And enjoyment: aromatherapy foot message, a welcome ice cube after a long period of no fluid through mouth, a good shower, being able to sleep on your side again, finally It's nice to read how supportive his girlfriend, later wife, Tracey, was I have no doubt that this ordeal influenced the lyrics for future songs. The picture of what the home was like to her while he was in the hospital was moving take away lists, meals for one, dirty dishes for one in the kitchen His mother is also supportive, though she doesn't quite understand the details of the illness. His father is sometimes infuriatingly afraid of visiting, but that's just his character and he gets better at visiting, eventually. We get to visit the author's past: family Christmases, his dates and travels with Tracey, how he spent time with his dad, his dad's band-past. We also get a view of author's imaginary worlds and memories. And finally, we get to see what it's like to be back home, what uncertainties remain, what restrictions to the diet will stay it's a view spoiler [small-bowel diet, low-fat, low-fibre - but there's still surprisingly lot to eat, and alcohol is permitted hide spoiler ]. It's a picture of a treatment of a rare illness, of what a patient would think through the experience - before, during, after - and of course, this is a picture of the author, who I grew to like through this : I'm glad I finally got around to reading this. Not the easiest of subjects to read about, but Ben's writing is so clear, lucid and embracing that you get swept along in his story. Who would think that a story about a life threatening condition could be so heart warming, funny, frustrating and thoughtful at the same time - well this book is all of these things and more. It also shows what a wonderful institution the NHS in the UK is, and the hard work that all of the nurses, doctors, surgeons, cleaners, volunteers etc do in hospitals everywhere Not the easiest of subjects to read about, but Ben's writing is so clear, lucid and embracing that you get swept along in his story. It also shows what a wonderful institution the NHS in the UK is, and the hard work that all of the nurses, doctors, surgeons, cleaners, volunteers etc do in hospitals everywhere. Where would we be without them? A great life affirming book, and not just for people who like Everything But The Girl. Just re-read this book for the first time in years, and was reminded of how good it is: intensely personal but effortlessly accessible; reflective, often lyrical, but despite the subject never somber; an understated but strikingly insightful view into the world and counter-life of serious Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness, ultimately woven back into the fabric of healthy life. Curiously, I first became a devotee of Everything But the Girl at the very time that Watt was in hospital, over the summer of My first summ Just re- read this book for the first time in years, and was reminded of how good it is: intensely personal but Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness accessible; reflective, often lyrical, but despite the subject never somber; an understated but strikingly insightful view into the world and counter-life of serious illness, ultimately woven back into the fabric of healthy life. My first summer away from home, living in a tiny studio sublet in New Haven: I have a vivid memory of sitting at a table improvised from a giant cable spool, breeze coming through the windows open above the street, listening to EBTG's album Acoustic. I have read this book so many times since the day I bought it. It was the book I was reading when my grandad died, it was the book I was reading in the midst of a prolonged period of Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness, it is the book I return to when I need to find a way of stilling myself and reminding myself who I am and where I am. It's beautifully written, in spare but evocative language that captures the rawness and strange detachment of serious illness. I love this book, both for what it is and for what it has come I have read this book so many times since the day I bought it. Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness love this book, both for what it is and for what it has come to mean to me. Ben Watt is a brilliant writer. This novella-length book about his sudden and serious illness could have been gloomy and grisly, but his thoughtful and lyrical prose has resulted in a gripping and insightful memoir of long-term pain and hospitalisation, fear and love. I read this off the back of his wife's memoir Tracey Thorn's 'Bedsit Disco Queen' and am more enamored than ever with this quirky, deep-thinking, artistic couple. His description of the physical sensations of illness a 4. His description of the physical sensations of illness allowed me to be inside his body with him, Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness the often hallucinatory effects of sickness and medication: "Inside my head I felt the tissue was too small for the space it occupied. If I moved, it seemed to scrape against the surface. Like grazing the fleshy part of the arm against a pebble-dashed wall. Twisting my head would bring out little electrical storms across my brow and down my nose and though my sinuses. Tiny lightning strikes. And I was a small creature who had made its home in this skull. Peeping out from the darkness. Tiny eyes like beads. Quietly scuffling in one of the sockets. I felt rotten in my guts. It's not how it seems from the inside. Jan 08, Katherine rated it really liked it. I noticed that some reviewers on this site found this book boring. Boy, that was NOT my reaction. I found Watt's writing style to be delightful and there were passages that moved me and passages Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness made me laugh out loud. This book succeeds on so many levels. It's a very accurate description of what it feels like to be seriously ill in a hospital; it's also a wonderful memoir about life in England in the s and early s. Postscript: an interview with Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn from Nov 02, Courtney rated it Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness was amazing. I watched Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness family member suffer through this horrible disease. But like the author, they made it through to the other side. Thank you Ben Watt for writing this book and sharing your experience. That was a less publicity-savvy era, of course. Patient | Grove Atlantic

This is an elegant, eloquent little gem of a memoir. Part medical mystery, part human interest story. Watt's experience is all at once inspiring and terrifying. I have to initially declare a vested interest in this book, having like Watt been diagnosed with Churg-Straus Syndrome insuffering cerebral vasculitis and two minor strokes at the age of However be assured Watt's brief but powerful memoir recounts his time, mainly in hospital, suffering from a rare and life threatening illness. I think it would be correct to say that it did nearly kill him; therefore this is not a Please sign in to write a review. If you have changed your email address then contact us and we will update your details. Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App? We have recently updated our Privacy Policy. The site uses cookies to offer you a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you accept our Cookie Policy, you can change your settings at any time. Not available This product is currently unavailable. Email me when available Stay one step ahead and let us notify you when this item is next available to order. Notify me. Thank you We will contact you when this item is next available to order. Your local Waterstones may have stock of this item. View other formats and editions. InBen Watt, a member of the band Everything But The Girl, contracted a rare life-threatening illness that baffled doctors and required months of hospital treatment and operations. This is the story of his fight for survival and the effect it had on him and those nearest him. They kept me in for two and half months. I fell very ill - about as ill it is possible to be without actually dying - confronting a disease hardly anyone, not even some doctors, had heard of. People ask what was it like, and I say yes, of course it was dramatic and graphic and all that stuff, but at times it was just kind of comic and strange. It was, I suppose, my life-changing story. An astonishingly assured anatomy of his ordeal, by turns terrifying, mordantly funny and intensely moving. Watt is such a responsible, deft writer that you feel straightaway you're in good hands. He doesn't want your sympathy - he wants to tell you something about the world. He makes you laugh. The thing is you can read this and not feel sorry for him. Added to basket. The Girl Who Reads on the Metro. Christine Feret-Fleury. Those Who Are Loved. Victoria Hislop. A Song for the Dark Times. Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness Rankin. The Beekeeper of Aleppo. Christy Lefteri. Philip Pullman. Agent Running in the Field. A Single Thread. Tracy Chevalier. The Giver of Stars. Jojo Moyes. The Confession. Jessie Burton. The Benefit of Hindsight. Susan Hill. The Midnight Library. Matt Haig. The Thursday Murder Club. Richard Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness. Girl, Woman, Other. Bernardine Evaristo. The Foundling. Stacey Halls. Troubled Blood. Robert Galbraith. Paperback edition. Katherine Bell at Edinburgh Ocean Terminal. Comment 0. Tim Dumble. Tim Mowbray at London Wall. Your review has been submitted successfully. Not registered? Remember me? Forgotten password Please enter your email address below and we'll send you a link to reset your password. Not you? Reset password. Download Now Dismiss. Simply reserve online and pay at the counter when you collect. Available in shop from just two hours, subject to availability. Your order is now being processed and we have sent a confirmation email to you at. This item can be requested from the shops shown below. If this item isn't available to be reserved nearby, add the item to your basket instead and select 'Deliver to my local shop' at the checkout, to be able to collect it from there at a later date. Preferred contact method Email Text message. When will my order be ready to collect? Following the initial email, you will be contacted by the shop to confirm that your item is Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness for collection. Call us on or send us an email at. Unfortunately there has been a problem with your order. Please try again or alternatively you can contact your chosen Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness on Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness send us an email at. Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness: Ben Watt: Bloomsbury Paperbacks

Ben Watt. In the summer ofon the eve of an American tour, Ben Watt, one half of the Billboard -topping pop duo Everything But The Girl, was taken to a London hospital complaining of chest pain. Watt had developed a rare life-threatening disease that initially baffled doctors. By the time he was allowed home, his ravaged body was forty-six pounds Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness and he was missing most of his small intestine. Watt injects pathos and humor into his medical nightmare, writing about his childhood, Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness on his family and on his shared life with band member and partner Tracey Thorn. The result is a provocative and affecting memoir about life, illness, and survival. He is also an acclaimed author; his most recent book is the memoir Romany and Tom. He is perhaps most well-known for his twenty-year career in alt-pop duo Everything But The Girl He is an international club and radio DJ, and since has run his own independent record labels Buzzin' Fly and Strange Feeling. Having recently returned to songwriting and live performance, "Hendra"--his first solo album for thirty years--is now available on his new imprint Unmade Road. He lives in north London with his wife Tracey Thorn and their three children.